Apparatus for filtering gas-containing beverages



E. ZAHM.

APPARATUS r-oR Flur-:ame GAS CoN'rAlNxNG BEvsRAsEs. :n.20 MAY I6. 1919.

BY Ao/ways Patented Dec. 26., 1922..

, maar EDWARD zAHivr, or BUFFALO', NEW YORK.

nrrnnerus ron FILTERING sas-conrarnrne BnvnaAGns.

Application filed Mayil, 1919,. Serial No. 297',4.5.

To all whom t may concern: v

Be it known that I, EDWARD ZAHM, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in Buffalo,

.sugars of which the beverage is partially composed.

The object a filter which renders it possible to produce gas containing beverages of low alcoholic content without carbonating the bev.- erage as is usually the practice, and without refrigeration during the process yof `fermentation.

Furthermore it is the object of my invention to provide a filter which will prevent after-fermentation of the beverage to avoid the formation 'of more alcohol than the beverage is made to contain.

Beverages `having the proper quantity of gas to maire them palatable contain about four tenths of lone per cent carbonic acid gas and since during fermentation-equal parts of alcohol and carbonic acid gasare produced, a beverage which isfermented until four the'nths'of one per cent alcohol are produced will contain sufficient carbonio acid gas to make the beverage palatable.:

The ,finishing process to which the thus partially fermented beverage is subjected consist's'in cooling the beverage and filtering the cooled beverage to sterility so that further 'fermentation is avoided. This finishing process also frees the beverage from yeasts and other mechanically suspended matter thus giving the beverage a clean taste as well :is a brilliantly clear appearance.

` The amount of' gas contained in a beverage exerts a pressure therein which varies' with the quantity of gas and the temperature of the beverage. beverage containing suflicient gas to make the same palatable exerts at 'TO degrees F. about twenty-five pounds pressure and this is taken as a basis for determining ythe point at which suicient gas has been produced.

of my inventionis to provide vri`he accompanying drawing shows an apparatussuitable to carry out my process'.

This drawing is a vertical section, show-4 ing one yform of the liquid ,ilterandcooler and adjacent parts embodying my invention,

a hose 8 frein any suitable source to Which it is connected one end. yThe hose :8 is attached at its other end to the checkfvalve .()lwliich latter in turn is connected bythe hose or conduit 1O`to theupper endofthe cooling coil. 11, the lower endof the coolj ing coil being attached to the inlet 13 onk theunderside of the chamberor body 35 l of a pulp lter. 14 is the outlet on the upper side of the pulp filter chamber leading to the upright-shell or tube 15 which is,

arranged above the chamber and houses the porous upright filtering cylinder 16 of the type usedin the yprocess of filtering beer tosterility. 17 is the discharge neck or throat of' the' filtering cylindetr Whichv is connected by means ofl the coupling 18 and the hose or conduit 19 to any suitable storage place.

The body of the check valve 9 and anupper dome 8O of'transparent inaterial which together rform the chamber o1" this Jvalvei '-lhe metal base 27 is provided with a lower nozzle 29 connected with; the hose 8, an upper lateral nozzle 290 which is connected vwith the hose 10 and an internal valve `seat 280 within the nozzle 29. A ball shaped .float valve or stopper 28 is arranged gagesl'the seat-'280 for-checking the flow through this Lvalve from above. The dome They material to be filteredis supplied prefer- `ably comprises a lower base 27r of rmetal within the chamber of the vvalve 9Y andendeine 80 is attached to the base 27 by means l of a screw jointBl, a gasket`82 or by other suitable packing means, being preferably interposed between the same.

The filter chamber or body 35 contains the mass or layer of pulp 12 in its lower part and into its upper lpart is `slidingly fitted a cover 8-1 which is constructed to act as a plunger to compress the filter pulp when drawn downby the cap screws 86 or the like, 'the compression being sufficient whenl the proper quantity of filter pulp has been compressed so that a joint is made between the body and cover of' the pulp lter by the gasket 37 between the same. 38 and 39 are screens of suitable construction arranged below and above the pulp mass to distribute the beverage to be filtered over the inlet side of the filter pulp and to conduct the pulp filtered beverage from the outlet side of the pulp filter to the discharge opening 14 and also to prevent particles of filter pulp from being carried through this opening.

The filtering cylinder 16 is attached to the cover 40 of the tube 'l5 by means of the nut 4l which is applied to the upper outlet neck 17 of this tube and bears against the upper side of this cover. A gasket l2 is interposed between the cover and the shoulder or breast 420 on the inner end of the neck and another gasket 43 is interposed between this cover and the upper end of the tube l5. The check valve 9 is mounted on a. bracket del which is attached'to the side of the tube 415 so that the body of the valve is rotatable in a vertical plane about the joint between the base 27 andthe bracket, the latter preferably connected bya rotatable joint with the upper the filter top 3st withdrawn by grasping the tube 15. The screen 88 is inserted and a charge of filter pulp introduced above it.

rl`he screen 39 is then inserted above the filter` pulp, the cover 34 replaced and drawn down by means of the screws 36 until a tight joint is made by the gasket 37. To expedite the flow of the beverage a higher pressure may be applied thereto by means of a pump. By thus `bringing about a more rapid flow of the beverage it shortens the time required to pass the beverage through the filter and reduces the generation of carbonio acid gas in excess of the amount required by the beverage.

1Where a supply of compressed air is available the same may be used at the check valves et and 26 and may be left attached to hose 8 during the filtering stage of the process, the pressure being controlled by a regulator of' any suitable construction placed in theair supply line. ln this event the hose 8 and the hose 10 may be interchanged in their connection to the check valve 9, as

shown by dotted lines in the drawing the check valve tilted momentarily to fill the dome with the flowing beverage which permits the check ball 28 to float.

rlvhe function ofthe coolingcoil 1l and the reason for immersing the same together with the pulp filter l2 and the tube l5 in a coolingn'iediurn, is to reduce the temperature of the beverage before and while flowing through the filters to bring the carbonic acid gas contained in the beverage below the point of saturation at the pressure under which the beverage liows into the place of storage.

l claim as my invention:

l. A, filter including a hollow body having anpinlet, a cover removably secured to said body, screens arranged at the top and bottom of said body, a filling of pulp arranged in said body between said screens, a filter shell connected at its lower end with said cover and communicating with the inner side oitsaid filter body, and a porous filter tube arranged in said shell and having an outlet.

2. A filter including a hollow body having an inlet, a cover removably secured to said body, screens arranged at the top and'bottom of said'body, a filling of pulp arranged in said body between said screens, a filter shell connected at its lower end with said cover and communicating with the inner side of said filter body,l a porous li ter tube arranged in said shell and having an outlet, anda tub receiving said filtering devices and adapted to contain a refrigerating medium.

A filter including a hollow body having an inlet, a cover removably secured to said body, screens arranged at the top and bottoni of' said body, a filling of pulp arranged in said body betweenY said screens, a filter shell connected at its lower end with said cover and communicating with the inner side of said filter body, porous filter tube arranged in said shell andliaving au outletr` coil surrounding said filtering4 devices and connected at its lower end with the interior of said filtery body and at its upper end with the means which supply the material to be ltered, a tub which receives said filtering devices and coil and which is adapted to contain a refrigerating medium.

EDwAnnZAnM. 

